We have two methods of delivery:

1. Sent by email – the voucher pack can be with you within a few minutes ready for you to give to the recipient
2. Sent by first class post within two working days, either to you or to an alternative address

The booking process is very easy.  You can choose which voucher to buy and make a purchase through the website at any time or you can call our office on 01428 707307 Mon - Fri from 9 - 5pm.  Your order will be processed and either emailed or posted, which ever you choose. Please look at our range of vouchers to decide which voucher type is most appropriate for the passenger.

You can register your voucher and access our online flight booking system 24 hours a days, 7 days a week at www.hotair.co.uk/dates or you can call our office on 01428 707307 Mon - Fri from 9 - 5pm. We generally schedule flights up to a month ahead and our flying season is April to October.

Please be advised that due to ballooning being a weather dependant activity that we advise you to book your flight within the first months of having your voucher. This allows you more time to attempt to fly before the expiry date.

Vouchers are valid for 12 months from the date of purchase. We do advise for you to book as soon as you can so that in the event of your flight being postponed you have ample times to try again. Vouchers can be extended at £40 per person per year and are extended free of charge if you have booked and been cancelled 5 times due to weather and ground conditions during the voucher’s 12 month validity.

Balloons fly with the wind, so we only know the approximate direction, not the exact landing point. You may fly 5-10 miles depending on the wind speed, although it could be more or less. That is part of the magic of travel in a hot air balloon.

We operate our season between April and October. Weekend summer evenings are the most popular, but our early morning flights can be a great way to start the day.

Balloon flights are made either early morning or evening when the winds are at their calmest. The time varies throughout the season due to the daylight hours. Typically during May and August we start at 6am in the morning and 6pm in the evening. 

 

Sturdy footwear, please do not wear sandals, flip-flops or high heels. Stout waterproof shoes or wellingtons are advisable as the field can often be very damp early morning and evening. A hat for those who may be 'thin on top' as the burner creates quite a lot of radiant heat. It is just as warm in the sky as on the ground - the same clothes as one would wear to go out on the day for a walk, with arms and legs covered, will be quite adequate.

Friends and family are welcome to come along and watch the balloon take off.

Yes, you can bring a camera, binoculars or camcorder as the balloon makes an excellent platform for photography. They must not be in metal cases and they are carried at your own risk. All cameras, camcorders etc must be stowed away securely on take-off and landing.

Each flight is approximately 1hour, although you do need to allow 3 - 4 hrs for check in and inflation, flight, packing up and the journey back to the launchsite.

We have a range of different balloons that we use and the amount of passengers depends greatly on the location and time of year. In the spring and autumn we tend to cap the balloons to 10 passenger and in the height of summer we can take up to 16.

Passengers enjoy ballooning at all ages. There are no upper age limit restrictions as long as the passenger can stand for roughly an hour and climb in and out of the basket with as little aid as possible. Unfortunately we will not be able to fly you if you are suffering from a serious medical condition or recently had surgery. We may ask for a fitness to fly letter from your GP for certain medical conditions. Due to restriction from the Civil Aviation Authority Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult on the flight and must be over 8 years old, and their height must exceed 1.4 metres (4'6"). In the interests of safety and operational requirements we cannot undertake the carriage of passengers whose declared weight exceeds 18 stone (114kg).

We carry insurance cover for any legal liability we may be found to have to you for any injury you may sustain, or for damage sustained by your belongings during the course of flight, or during embarkation or disembarkation. However English law in some circumstances sets maximum limits on our legal liability to you that you might regard as inadequate to compensate for any loss, whether for death or personal injury or damage to your personal belongings.

Ballooning is actually the safest form of aviation. All our balloons are maintained to the highest standard and have to a pass rigorous testing each year in order for us to fly them, and that said, so have our pilots. They have to undergo the same medical as a British Airways pilot and have to take a flight test annually with an examiner.

For ballooning, we need to have a reasonably clear day with light winds - no more than 10 mph and no rain.  We can fly if there are clouds as long as they are not too low in the sky.  Contrary to what you may believe the majority of the time this actually makes visibility a lot better.

Should your flight be cancelled please visit our website www.hotair.co.uk/dates to rebook your flight as soon as possible. Vouchers are extended free of charge if you have booked and been cancelled 5 times during the initial voucher validity due to weather and ground conditions or they can be extended at £40 per person per year if less than 5 cancellations.

Please see the terms and conditions for full information regarding cancellations, no shows and expired vouchers.